QUICKLINKS

Maggots on the Ceiling?

13 July, 2008

Question: These maggots have recently appeared on our kitchen ceiling. They are quite sticky and very active. Are you able to identify them and advise what we should do about them if more appear?

Maggots on the ceilingPhotographer/Source: Richard Clivaz

Answer: The “maggots” in your photograph are actually the larvae of a moth, most probably the Indian Meal Moth. We would need to examine the larvae under a microscope to confirm this.

The Indian Meal Moth is one of the pest species which feed on stored food products. If it is this species (or another species of stored food product pest) and you would like to be rid of them, you will need to find and destroy the source of the infestation.

Check for any open or damaged food products in the pantry – the moth larvae may be feeding on flour, corn, broken grains, seeds, powdered milk, cereals, chocolate, biscuits, dried fruits, nuts, dog foods, etc. The larvae of some species produce mats of webbing over the food products which should make an infestation obvious.

Once you have disposed of any infested food, you should also make sure that you have cleaned up any spilled food and that all of your remaining food products are stored in sealed containers. This will prevent a reinfestation: if there are adult moths flying around in your house, they will be looking for somewhere to lay their eggs.

You will need to check all rooms of the house for possible food sources such as dog food in a laundry. The larvae can move away from where they have been feeding when they are ready to pupate (which is probably what they were doing on your ceiling), so if you find them in one room it doesn’t necessarily mean that’s where they have been feeding.

Comments (20)

I just found them in my kitchen & I'am totally grossed out.I want them gone A.S.A.P.The little Moths that lay there lava everywhere & those flies that drop maggots as soon as u don't put that food into the fridge.What can i put in my pantry 2 control these little moths & their offspring maggots. HELP!!

If you follow the advice in the text you should minimise the chances of Indian Meal Moths surviving and increasing in numbers in your home. The Museum can't advise on pest control as we are not involved in this field. You would need to decide if you wanted to use chemicals near your food. If you make sure there is no chance for the moths to gain access to a food source they should not be able to survive. Good Luck.

I found these maggot looking things in my sons bedroom carpet.They are offwhite whith a brown head and two brown spots on the end of them,they are in a brown like cocoon about 1cm long. Are they meal moths as well?

Hi Anne, if you can take a photo and send it in, we will have the entomologist take a look and try to identify the critters. Alternatively, you can collect some and drop them into the Discovery Centre, please quote your enquiry number, DC ENQ 5739.

To whom it may concern,
I have the larvae of moths in my home. Can you describe how the mass webbing looks like because I can't locate it anywhere. If I destroy that it would stop the infestation. I have spotted a couple of moth around.
Thank you.
Carmen

I am getting ready to move and as I was cleaning out the toy box I found a little white thing that looks like a piece or rice. After looking on line Im thinking its one of these pantry worms. How the heck can it live on a piece of barbie clothing?

Thanks so much for this article. I thought we had fly maggots and I felt a little better that they were moths. But I found them in an open box of dog treats and I'm equally disgusted. Clean up in progress!

Thanks for the article! I think I have accidentally ate a few of them before I realised the muesli I was eating was infested. Will there be any consequences to my health? Do they take in any bacteria/worms inside your body which feeds on you?